Apparatus for inking ribbons for typewriters of any make



0. FRANKENBU'SCH. APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS FOR TYPEWRITERS OF ANY MAKE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1920.

Patented July 11, 1922'.

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V 0. FRANKENBUSCH. APPARATUS FOR INKING RIBBONS FOR TYPEWRITEBS OF ANY MAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1920- Patented July 11 1922,

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liwenfor (21m Fran/rmb I I IIIII IR narrate stares APPARATUS F03 INKING B-IBBONS FOR TYIEWBITERS OF ANY MAKE.

Application filed June 23, 1920.

To all whom it may 0012 00m:

Be it known that I, O'r'ro FnANKnNnfiscH, a citizen of the Czecho-Slovak Republic, and resident of Vienna, Austria, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Inking Ribbons for Typewriters of Any Make, for which I have filed foreign applications in Belgium, May 1, 191a; France, May 2, 191%; Great Britain, May 2, 1914; Italy, June 25, 1914:; Russia, June 19, 1914, and Austria Aug. 6, 1913, and of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements or important newarrangements in apparatuses for inking typewriter ribbons for use for persons owning typewriters and desirous to ink their ribbons themselves. The invention is characterized in that the typewriter-ribbon to be inked has not to be pulled as until now through the whole apparatus by means of a. crank secured upon the winding up shaft, but on the contrary the ribbon, is passed through the apparatus and wound upon the winding up shaft by means of a yielding transmission gearing actuated by a crank. lVith the winding up method known until now the ribbon was torn in most cases by the tremendous traction, its fabric was pulled out of shape and therefore the inking operation took place irregularly so that the writing obtained was scarcely readable. The improvement comprises two transmission pulleys which are connected together by a yielding belt made of india-rubber, a tractional spring or a similar member and are rotated by means of a crank positioned in the centre of the apparatus. The object of this yielding transmission gearing is therefore to save the ribbon to the utmost during the passage through the apparatus by avoiding the great tractional effort upon it and before all to control automatically the winding up speed of the winding up shaft owing to its yielding properties.

The essential features of the automatic control of the winding up speed resides in that the yielding belt is passed over a. large transmission pulley mounted on the feed roller in the middle of the apparatus and over a small transmission pulley mounted on the winding up shaft. The diameter of the ribbon being wound up increasing continuously from a very small dimension requires at first a very rapid rotation of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Serial No. 391,195.

winding up shaft, in order to enable in spite of the very small dimension, the ribbon which is rapidly advanced by the thick feed rollers, to be wound up uniformly and firmly. lVhen the diameter of the ribbon lncreases, the belt by reason of its yielding properties, allows of the winding up shaft being automatically braked by the ribbon, considering that the slightest tension of the ribbon brakes the winding up shaft, the yielding belt sliding then without an action over the transmission pulley having a smooth groove and keyed on the winding upshaft. When the tension ceases the belt at once drives again the winding up shaft and this transmission system allows of obtaining during the whole winding up a continuous, uniform and owing to the special arrangement of the feed rollers an extremely neat winding up of the ribbon. Another novelty of the invention consists in that a pair of rollers which can be replaced at will, serves at the same time as press-drying and feed rollers for the ribbon to be inked, the ribbon passing through the apparatus being preferably dried by means of cylinders of blotting paper or another absorbent material so as to write at once with a clear and neat type in contradistinction from the usual apparatuses not provided with this device and which gave when writlng blots instead of letters. Besides, the same pair of rollers serves as press-rollers as the cylinders of blotting paper are slid on solid cores and the whole rollers are energetically pressed upon each other by the pressure exerted by springs or screw threaded spindles so that the pressure pushes the ink into the passing ribbon, thereby impregnating the latter uniformly and durably. The pair of rollers acts as feed rollers in that it causes the passing ribbon to advance by the yielding transmission gear described above, the actuating crank being put on the end of one of the feed rollers. It follows therefrom. the great advantage that the rollers act directly on the ribbon and not the ribbon 011 the whole system of rollers like in the apparatus in which the winding up shaft has to be rotated. In these latter apparatuses the ribbon often broke, its fabric was pulled out of shape and was inked irregularly.

The devices described above from all imv inking device showing two inking cushions.

Figs. 5 and 6 show details of the ribbon spools.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a base plate, on which are arranged two supporting legs 2, 3 for a plate 4 carrying the improved inking device. Secured to said plate 4 are two upwardly projecting bearings 5, 6 provided with vertical slots 7, 8 for the reception of screw threaded rotary shafts 11, 12 carrying ribbon spools 9, 10. The ribbon spool 9 Y is loosely mounted on the shaft 11, whilst the ribbon spool 10 is loosely mounted on the shaft 12. On either side of both spools are arranged locking nuts 14 (Figs. 6 and 7), adjustable on said shafts and provided with yielding solid or hollow disks 13, serving to lock the ribbon spools 9, 10 when they firmly engage the opposite sides of the latter. When the spools are locked in this way, they are caused to rotate with the respective shafts, whereby the ribbon 15 will be caused to pass from one spool to the other.

The plate 4 carries a depending trough 16, within which is arranged the device for inking the blank ribbon wound off the spool 9, comprising one or more rotatable drums 17 and one or more yielding hollow cushions 18 filled with ink and provided with discharge openings 19, the blank ribbon passing under pressure between said drums and cushions to be inked. The bottom 20 of the cushion is engaged by a device for regulating the amount of ink discharged from the cushion. Said regulating device comprises a spindle 21 extending through the bottom of the trough 16 and bearing against an arched head 22 secured to the bottom 20 of the cushion. The cushion 1 8 is also provided with an opening normally closed by means of a screw-threaded plug 23 and serving to fill the cushion with ink. The outer wall of the cushion is provided with an annular flange 24 for the reception of ink dropping from the freshly inked ribbon and when the ink is brought through funnel shaped openings 25 into the cushion. The latter is furthermore provided with projections 26, by means of which it is secured in a plate 27 placed upon the bottom of the trough 16.

Fig. 4 of the drawings shows an arrange ment whereby two separate ribbons may be inked simultaneously with ink of different colors. To this end the trough 16 is divided into two separate compartments by means of a partition 28 secured to the plate 27. The drums 17 are carried by a rail 29 engaging an opening in the plate 4. One end of said rail is hinged at 30 to the plate 4, whereby said rail together with the drums 17 may be turned upwardly to give access to the inte rior of the trough 16. One side wall of the trough is preferably provided with a sliding door 31 or the like, whereby the plate 27 together with the inking cushions 18 may be readily removed from or inserted into the trough 16, after the spindle 21 has been sufiiciently lowered to clear the plate 27. 7

Upon leaving the inking cushion, the ribbon is passed between the drums 17 and a drum 32 attached to'the plate 4 and moved .between two drying drinns or cylinders 33,

34 which consist of solid cores having cylinders of blotting paper secured thereon to the spool 10. The lower drum 33 is housed within a casing 35 attached to the plate4. The upper drum 34 is arranged within a casing 36, hinged at 37 to the post 38 of the plate 4, whereby the drum 33 may be easily uncovered. Both drums 33, 34 are rotated by means of intermeshing gears, operated by means of a crank arranged on the shaft of the drum 33, and the shaft 12 and. spool 10 are simultaneously rotated through the agency of an elastic belt 39.

Below the drum 33 the plate 4 is provided with an aperture and a wall 40 inclined downwards towards the annular flange 24 of the cushion 18, whereby ink pressed out from the ribbon between the drums 33, 34 may drop upon said wall and be brought back into the cushion.

The device shown in the drawings operates as follows:

The blank ribbon carrying spool 9 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 11 and the end thereof is passed between the cushion 18 and the turnable drum 17, between the latter and the drums 32 and between the drum 33 and the turnable drum 34 and then attached to the spool 13 loosely mounted upon the shaft 12. Both spools 9, 10 are secured on their shafts against lateral movements by means of the lock-nuts 14 provided with yielding disks 13 and arranged on opposite sides of said spools said spools being rotated when the device is operated. Care must be taken that the spools and the passages of the ribbon 15 between the inking cushion and the drums are located in a common vertical plane.

Owing to the fact that the ribbon is passed under pressure between the inking cushion 18 and the drum 17 and that the ribbon on the rotating drum 17 produces an attraction, a corresponding amount of ink will be discharged fromth'e openings 19 of the inking cushion 18 to provide the ribbon with ink. The amount of ink discharged will be regulated by the pressure produced by the setscrew 21 against the bottom of the cushion. Ink is uniformly distributed over the surface of the ribbon, as the latter passes between the drums 17, 32, and as the ribbon passes between the drums 33, 34, the ink is forced into the ribbon or any excess of ink is pressed out from the same, the inked ribbon being finally wound upon the spool 10.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An inking apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination a suitable base, a plate supported horizontally on said base, a depending trough on said plate, a rotatable drum journaled in said trough, a hollow yielding cushion below said drum and cooperating with the same, discharge openings in the top of said cushion, said cushion being filled with ink, means for regulating the discharge of ink from said cushion, and means for continuously moving a ribbon to be inked between said drum and cushion, substantially as set forth.

2. An inking apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination a suitable base, a plate supported horizontally on said base, a depending trough on said plate, rotatable drums journaled in said trough, hollow yielding removable ink cushions filled with ink below said drums and cooperating therewith, means permitting removal of said ink cushions, means for regulating the discharge of ink from said cushions, and means for continuously moving ribbons to be inked between said drums and cushions, substantially as set forth.

8. An inking apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination a suitable base, a plate supported horizontally on said base, a depending trough on said plate, a drum journaled in said trough, a hollow yielding removable ink cushion below said drum and cooperating with the same, a set screw extending through the bottom of the trough, and acting against the yielding bottom of the ink-cushion to regulate the discharge therefrom, and means for continuously moving a ribbon to be inked between said drum and cushion, substantially as set forth.

4:. An inking apparatus of the kind described, comprlsing in combination a suitable base, a plate supported horizontally on said base, a depending trough on said plate, partitions dividing said trough in separate compartments, a rotatable drum journaled in each compartment, a hollow yielding remov able ink-cushion below each drum and cooperating therewith, set-screws extending through the bottom of the trough and acting against the bottoms of the various inkcushions to regulate the discharge of ink therefrom, and means for continuously moving ribbons to be inked between said drums and ink cushions, substantially as set forth.

5. An inking apparatus of the kind described, comprising in combination a suitable base, a plate supported horizontally on said base, a depending trough on said plate, a pressure drum journaled in said trough, a hollow yielding ink-cushion below said drum and cooperating therewith, means for regulating the discharge of ink from said inkcushion, suitable bearings at each end of the horizontally supported plate, horizontal shafts journaled in said bearings, a loose ribbon spool on each shaft, lock-nuts on either side of each spool, yielding disks inserted between the lock-nuts and the opposite sides of each spool, said spools being adapted to have a ribbon to be inked passing from one to the other, and means for actuating the various rotatable members, substantially as set forth.

6. An inking apparatus including a base, a plate supported on said base having a trough extending below the plate, a drum rotatably carried by said trough, a yielding inking cushion carried in the trough for cooperation with the drum and adapted to supply ink carried thereby to a ribbon passing between the drum and cushion, and means for feeding a ribbon to be inked between the drum and cushion.

7. An inking apparatus including a plate having a trough extending below the plate, a drum rotatably mounted in the trough, a compressible hollow cushion mounted in the trough for cooperation with the drum for feeding ink contained therein to a ribbon passing between the cushion and drum, means for compressing the cushion for feeding ink, and means for passing a ribbon to be inked between the drum and cushion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

or'ro FRANKENBtisoH.

Witnesses CHRISTIAN SoHERT, GEORGES DELTRONCK. 

